I agree, Crow. It sucks when one of the best players on a team is out for a series like this, with this much importance on it. Better to have all healthy line-ups and let the best team win.
I also agree with Tark.. one of the top Pens should be taken out, it's only fair!! haha
This both sucks and blows at the same time. I wonder why it took so long tho, Game 4 was like 8 days ago, and they're only now figuring out that he has a blood clot?
Here's more:
Kimmo Timonen, the nine-season NHL veteran, likely will miss the rest of the playoffs with a blood clot in his left ankle. Timonen told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the blood clot formed after he was hit with a shot during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series against Montreal. When the soreness did not dissipate, Timonen had the ankle checked out where a blood clot was found. Timonen had six assists during the playoff run.
"We have to view this that he's not a player for us in the series, and march on," Holmgren said Thursday night.
Timonen is the Flyers' top defenseman and played a crucial role in shutting down Washington's Alex Ovechkin for most of the seven-game, first-round series. Timonen was fantastic at anticipating plays, attacking Ovechkin with the puck and taking away space to create easy goals.
He was just as effective against Montreal's Alex Kovalev, and was being counted on to limit Pittsburgh's top forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Holmgren said Timonen, who didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh, is injured right where he ties up the skate.
"Obviously, you can't replace a player that does what Kimmo does for us," Holmgren said.
The nine-year veteran discovered the severity of the injury after a hospital visit Thursday morning. Timonen said the doctor told him if the clot improves in the next two weeks, there would be a small chance he could play again this season. Still, Timonen knows a return to the lineup is unlikely.
"It's the most disappointing thing in my hockey life, for sure," he said.
"How many times in your lifetime do you get to play in the conference finals or the Stanley Cup finals?" Timonen said.
Timonen played Game 5 against the Canadiens, and felt numbness in his toes and foot that never went away. Timonen, who has six assists in the postseason, is on blood thinners. He had a similar injury earlier in his career with Nashville, but said that clot was much more painful and noticeable than this one.
Holmgren said the Flyers weren't taking any chances.
"If he gets hit again, a lot of problems could arise," he said.
It's a real shame for someone like Kimmo, ya gotta feel for the guy.. to get to his first Conf. Finals, with a chance to get to the Stanley Cup, and he goes down right before it starts. Granted, he can still get the ring and be part of a Cup team if by some chance they were able to get thru this without him playing.. but that's gotta feel pretty empty for him to not actually be out there and help them to get it. We'll just have to get back here next year, and have him healthy, and bring it on home (again?)!
This is most definitely a tough break for the Flyers. Kimmo Timonen is/was a major link in the Flyers defenseive chain. You gotta believe, that not one game has been played, and the Penguins already smell some blood in the water. Injuries are part of the game, but this is just a very unfortunate one for the Flyers blueline especially against a team like Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, Hossa and the rest of the Penguins.
